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Monday, December 12, 2011

Meal Planner Monday!

Top o' the Mornin' to ya! Boy oh boy! It's been a long time since I've had a chance to post! Too long if you ask me.

Thankfully the Christmas show is over and I can get back to normal...whatever normal is around here! I would have been back in the game last week, but my family was ravaged by a horrible stomach bug and I was up to my elbows in puke and poop. Literally, it was up to my elbows!

BUUUUTTTTT....Today is a new day, heck it's a new week and since it's Monday, it's time for your weekly meal planner!

In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, stir together beans, salsa,
chiles, flour, and 1 cup water. Season chicken with salt and pepper; arrange on
top of bean mixture. Scatter onion and bell pepper on top of chicken.

Cover and cook on low heat for 8 hours. (Do not open lid or
stir.)

Remove chicken from stew; shred into large pieces and return
to stew. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.

Roll mixture into twenty-four 1-ounce balls (each about the
size of a golf ball).

Heat sauce in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Drop
meatballs into sauce, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered,
until meatballs are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Make the sandwiches: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Working in
batches, arrange rolls, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Place 1 meatball, a
spoonful of sauce, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon pecorino Romano on
bottom halves. Bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Sandwich
with basil.

Preheat oven to 450. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. In a
large saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Add spinach and season with
salt; cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer spinach to a
fine-mesh sieve and drain, pressing with a rubber spatula to release as much
liquid as possible. Transfer spinach to a cutting board and roughly chop.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough
into an 8-inch round. In a medium bowl, stir together spinach, reserved
meatballs and sauce, cheese, and red-pepper flakes (if using). Season with salt
and pepper. With a slotted spoon, divide mixture among bottom halves of dough
rounds, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold top half of each round over filling and
roll and pinch edges to seal. Carefully transfer calzones to baking sheet.
Brush tops lightly with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake until
calzones are golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes.

Using a rounded 1-tablespoon measure for each, form mixture
into meatballs (you should have about 48). Place meatballs onto two rimmed
baking sheets; bake until golden brown and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes,
rotating sheets halfway through.

Meanwhile, make sauce: In a medium saucepan, melt butter
over medium-high. Add flour; cook, whisking, 1 minute (do not let darken).
Gradually whisk in remaining cup milk and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat,
and simmer until sauce has slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a
large bowl.

Using a slotted spoon, add meatballs to bowl with sauce;
gently toss to combine. Serve as an appetizer, on toothpicks, with jelly on the
side; or as a main, over noodles, garnished with parsley, with jelly on the
side.

Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large bowl,
combine turkey, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, 1/4 cup
parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; mix to combine. Using a
level 1-tablespoon measure for each, form mixture into meatballs (you should
have about 24).

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over
medium-high. Add meatballs, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all
over, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water; simmer, stirring occasionally,
until meatballs are cooked through and liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 10
to 12 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook until they begin to soften, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente,
according to package instructions. Drain, return to pot, and place on the
still-warm burner. Add bocconcini, meatballs and sauce, remaining 1/4 cup
parsley, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and remaining tablespoon butter.
Season with salt and pepper, and toss until combined.